Dr. Maureen M. Achebe
Health experts have urged the government to scale up and integrate newborn screening for sickle cell disease as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention launches a new continental plan to tackle inherited blood disorders.
The coordinated regional framework on sickle cell disease was endorsed at a Technical Validation and Launch Workshop attended by health ministers, development partners, and international health agencies.
It builds on work by the American Society of Hematology’s Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa. More than 300,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease annually in sub-Saharan Africa, with many undiagnosed or untreated.
The new strategy emphasises newborn screening, early intervention, workforce development, and sustainable financing.
Clinical Director of Hematology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Maureen M. Achebe, called the launch a turning point for sickle cell care in Africa.
“The Africa CDC has unveiled a continental plan for sickle cell disease and other inherited disorders, and this marks a turning point in the fight against one of Africa’s most severe health challenges,” she said.
She noted it builds on a technical working group established in April 2025. Dr. Achebe pointed to lessons from CONSA, which has screened nearly 175,000 newborns across participating countries, showing that large-scale screening is feasible in African health systems.
“They’ve all been models for different things. They haven’t necessarily done exactly the same thing but have been models in ways that sickle cell disease can successfully be addressed in different countries,” she said.
Experts say Ghana must move from pilot and fragmented interventions to a fully integrated national programme embedded within existing healthcare structures.
Dr. Achebe said newborn screening can be incorporated into vaccination clinics and teaching hospitals rather than stand-alone programmes.
“What there is to learn from CONSA is that it is to integrate newborn screening into healthcare systems that already exist,” she stated. “Early intervention is critical, particularly in the first five years of life. Proven measures include penicillin prophylaxis, malaria prevention, routine vaccinations, and early hydroxyurea therapy.”
“There is a stark difference between median life expectancy in high-income countries and under-5 mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. These preventative measures can prevent a significant amount of under-5 mortality,” Dr. Achebe said.
By Samuel Boadi